1. Field
The present disclosure pertains to a method and apparatus for sterilizing and/or disinfecting the fluid pathway of a ventilator using a treatment gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to disinfect contaminated surfaces to avoid microbial cross-contamination. The application of liquid disinfecting agents is effective for accessible, chemical resistant surfaces as well as cavities on objects that can be submersed. But submersion in liquid chemical germicides and disinfectants is not suitable for many delicate instruments (e.g., instruments with electrical circuitry). Steam is often used for disinfection and sterilization, especially in medical facilities, but repeated exposure to heat and moisture can be damaging to many materials and electronic components. Exposure to gamma or E-beam radiation requires equipment and a facility with the appropriate safety precautions. UV light radiation requires a direct UV light path to all contaminated surfaces.
Filters are often used on ventilators to reduce the risk of contamination when the ventilator is moved from one patient to the next. However, filters are not always used, are not always effective against all biological contaminants, and are sometimes faulty. A patient may still be exposed to contaminants in the ventilator's fluid pathway.
Gas sterilizers on the market today are high cost, require inconvenient handling/storing of the gas or liquid sterilant, require the need for long out-gassing periods, require precautions for the hazards associated with exposure, and/or require the contaminated object to be placed within a gas sterilization chamber.
Marketed gas sterilization chamber systems require a great deal of dedicated space within a facility and require the entire medical device be placed in the sterilization chamber and exposed to sterilization gas. In the case of a ventilator, only the gas path needs to be disinfected or sterilized, not the sensitive electronics that are also part of the ventilating device.